To Wear the Mask
by aerforia
Summary: How does the 14th Noah manage to stay undercover as "Allen Walker" while working for the Order?  Follow his misadventures in this series of drabbles as he grows closer with the Exorcists, as his sworn enemies become something he can call family.
1. First Day

**I've decided to start a series of drabbles as a companion to "When the World Ends", but can be read as stories on their own. **

**Just be aware that this takes place in the same AU as the aforementioned story, where Allen was actually an agent of the Noah all along, just doing undercover work for the Earl. **

**These drabbles follow his adventures and misadventures as he adapts to Exorcist life while maintaining his secret.**

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><p>"<em>Remember, Neah my child, your mission is one of reconnaissance. Become their friend, make them trust you, and make them care for you. That way when we do lead our final attack, you can destroy them from the inside."<em>

"_Yeah, I understand. But what if my Innocence doesn't trick their gatekeeper? What if he senses I'm actually a Noah?"_

_The two were standing outside a sheet of intense white light. The number 07 glowed brightly in a cheery red. The Earl chuckled, glasses glinting dangerously. "If it fails to do that, what good is that filthy Innocence anyway? Now run along. We'll be in touch so you won't get too homesick, my child."_

_The Earl tapped Neah forward with his umbrella, which squawked an indignant "Lero!" The Musician paused just outside the threshold, let out a small sigh, and stepped through…_

…_finding himself nearly greeting a massive stone wall with his face. At least, that's what he thought it was until the newly christened Allen peered upward._

"_Oh no."_

_It wasn't a wall. It was a cliff._

_. . ._

Of course the Black Order would keep their Headquarters on a cliff_, __Allen thought bitterly as his hand found another rocky outcropping.__When the Earl said that the Ark would be dropping him off somewhat nearby,__he obviously only measured the distance horizontally, not__vertically. Scaling a massive stone mountain definitely was not high__on Allen's list of fantastic ways to start off the day._

_Clutching his bag in his teeth, he grimaced as the stones beneath one__of his feet crumbled away. The fall would be very unpleasant if he were to lose his grip, to say the least. Luckily for him, he had finally reached the top after his three hour trek and__heaved himself up, lying on the precipice for a minute to catch his__breath, staring at the sky. Under the open expanse of blue and white, a strange sort of peace and excitement overcame him. How long had it been since he was out on his own? Granted he was on a mission, but who said he couldn't make it fun?_

_Holding his hands into the sky in an effort to shield his face from the sun, he curiously studied his now pale-peach skin. It had been a while since he had seen this color rather than his usual smoky grey. He had to admit he rather liked it._

_Once his arms stopped having the consistency of overcooked__noodles, he got back on his feet and faced the large, menacing black__castle that was to be his temporary home now. He couldn't help the small excited smile that graced his lips. He could be anyone he wanted to be, with a new life and a new name, and he was going to make sure he would enjoy it._

* * *

><p>For the most part, the 14th Noah's first day as an Exorcist called "Allen Walker" went by without a hitch.<p>

Almost.

He recalled his close call with the gatekeeper, who sounded the alarm due to the mark on his eye, forcing Allen to defend himself from a certain dark-haired sword-wielding Kanda Yu. It was probably a needed experience, Allen decided. It was a good opportunity for the Musician to practice holding back – he didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself by revealing how strong he truly was.

And then there was Hevlaska. He hadn't been expecting something like her at all, so when she examined his Innocence it was an understatement to say that he panicked, afraid that she would find something in his soul that would reveal him.

In the end, though, after Kanda's violent welcome and Hevlaska's prodding and Komui's "repairs", Allen could safely say that his infiltration was a success. Now that he was lying on his bed in his designated room, he felt like he could finally release the breath he had been subconsciously holding throughout the day. That is, until he heard the knock on his door, followed by fervent whispers.

"_Lavi, he's probably sleeping. He must be exhausted after today._"

"_Okay then, we'll just wake him up. _Oi, Allen!" The knock sounded again, louder than the last time. "Come eat dinner with me and Lenalee!"

"B-but if you're tired, feel free to rest and sleep," a soft, hesitant voice called.

"_Lenalee! You're not supposed to give him an option! What if he doesn't want to come now?_"

Allen closed his eyes briefly, listening to the whispered bickering escalate into a shouting match, before forcing himself out of his bed to stagger to the door. He might as well take this opportunity to get to know the people he would be spending his days with.

When he opened the door, he blinked stupidly at the sight before him. Was Lavi _cowering in fear_ of the petite female exorcist… what was her name?

"Look, Lenalee," the redhead sputtered, "he's awake! I told you." She glared daggers at him before turning her gaze to Allen with all the gentleness of a sunrise.

"Hello, Allen," she said as offered him a brilliant smile –_he wondered why his hands suddenly felt clammy– _before continuing, "Lavi and I were hoping you could eat dinner with us so we can start getting to know one another, but if you're tired we can come back later." Lavi was about to protest her last remark, but Lenalee's sharp elbow to his ribs left him doubled over in pain, wheezing.

Allen's eyes flitted between Lavi's pained moans and Lenalee's bright smile, before giving a quick laugh as he ran his fingers through his hair.

_This is going to be some kind of adventure._

"Sure, why not? I'm starved."


	2. Slipping

_Oh crap oh crap oh crap._

He shut his eyes again, brow furrowed in concentration, steadying himself on the bathroom sink. He took a breath, counting to ten, before he opened his eyes to examine his reflection once more.

_Oh crap._

Gold eyes still stared back at him, almost tauntingly. His grey skin seemed to blend in with the muted light reflecting off the mirror. He had forgotten to turn on the lights when he bolted into his bathroom after waking up from a good night's rest and catching a glimpse of the color of his hand. The _real_ color of his hand.

Why was it so hard for him to maintain his disguise? Tyki never seemed to have any problems, although he did mention that it had been getting increasingly difficult to shift back into his more human colors.

But this was absurd.

Allen was the 14th, the Noah of destruction, for crying out loud! He let out an incoherent growl of frustration as he raked his hair back. The stigmata were still there.

He took a step back from the mirror. "Okay," he started. It always helped him concentrate when he laid out his thoughts in words. "Just remember what Tyki told you. Close your eyes, focus, and–"

"Allen?"

_Crap_.

Never had he been more thankful that he remembered to lock the door to his room. A light knocking sounded as delicate fingers rapped on the door once more. Of all the people that would come to see him, of _course_ it had to be her. He couldn't let anyone see him like this, but the imagining her witnessing his true form, imagining how her eyes would widen in fear – fear of _him_ – chilled his bones. He groaned, holding his head in his hands.

"Allen?" Lenalee's voice was sharper now. Did she hear him? "Are you well? Open this door!"

He smiled weakly through his fingers.

"I'm… I'm fine! Just a little stomachache. I'll join you for breakfast in a minute," he lied. There was a tense pause from the hall before he heard her respond hesitantly,

"All right… But if you're not down there in ten minutes I won't hesitate in breaking into your room!" He could hear her attempt on ending her words in a bright and cheerful tone, but the underlying worry in her voice was not lost on him.

Okay. He had ten minutes to fix his appearance.

He always did work better under time constraints.

* * *

><p>"So? Where's the new guy?" Lavi mumbled through a mouthful of food, but Lenalee almost appeared to have missed his words. The loud chattering drone of the mess hall was nothing compared to her racing thoughts. She was staring down at her plate as if she was looking through the table to the ground. Allen's response worried her.<p>

"He said he had an upset stomach," she said softly, frowning. The junior bookman let out snort at her words, accidentally spewing bits of food everywhere, including down his windpipe. Kanda, who had been sitting next to Lenalee, shot the violently coughing redhead a withering glare as he carefully removed a wayward pea that had found its way from Lavi's plate to his bowl of noodles.

"Don't you think that's weird? Lavi managed to choke out. "I mean, that kid eats enough food that could support a small island."

"Why the hell would getting a stomachache be weird? There's always a first time for everything," Kanda replied in a bored tone.

And yet, Lenalee couldn't help but agree with Lavi. There had been something in Allen's words, something that made her feel as though he hadn't been quite honest with her. _But why would he lie?_

Her thoughts were cut short as a cheerful "Hello!" sounded by her side. She turned her head just in time to catch a flash of silver eyes, which were soon hidden by the owner's breakfast.

His towering pile of breakfast.

Lenalee felt as though she could safely say, after watching the new Exorcist consume his food with surprising speed, that she had witnessed a man eat a small mountain.

And as her companions resumed their light chatter, complete with bickering from Lavi and Kanda and various interference from Allen, she found the events of the morning slowly slip from her mind.

And maybe if she had been paying closer attention would she have seen a brief hint of gold flash behind a certain Exorcist's eyes.


	3. Promises

**Oh god, expect incoming angst and fluff.**

**That is all.**

* * *

><p>"What are you doing up here?"<p>

Lenalee turned around to see Allen picking his way across the roof towards her. She gave him a slight smile, a rare sight lately, as he settled down on a nearby outcropping.

"Just thinking," she said. She didn't dare tell him that _he_ was the main subject of those thoughts. "The Order's been through a pretty rough patch, huh?" She turned her focus back out to the horizon.

The roof of the new Headquarters offered a spectacular view along with a quiet atmosphere, something that Lenalee had been craving after the chaos that followed the climactic battle with the Level 4. And now, as the sun slowly began to set, a warm honey light flooded the woodlands below.

Allen nodded in agreement, although he swore something in her voice hinted at something painfully deeper. "We pulled through, and we'll pull through again. I promise." His words carried out into the chill breeze that had picked up.

"Don't say that," Lenalee murmured. She was still looking out across the forest, but with darker eyes. Allen's filled with confusion.

"What?"

"Don't promise."

_Ah_. So he had been right.

"What's wrong with making promises?" he asked carefully. Allen knew he was treading on glass now, if Lenalee's icy exterior meant anything.

At first she said nothing, only pulling her knees up to her chest for a place to rest her chin. The wind was stronger now, the air whipping her growing hair into her eyes. Allen briefly wished he had brought a blanket or something up with him just in case she was getting cold, and almost began to take off his own jacket to drape across her shoulders when she spoke once more.

"It's wrong to make promises when you can't keep them." A tremor had invaded her voice. "How can you promise we'll be all right again? I've… I've lost so many of my family so quickly. How can you promise I won't lose more? How can…" Her voice broke, the tremor having traveled to her hands now balled into fists, before she continued in a tone as soft as the breeze, "…how can you promise I won't lose you?"

Her tears were falling freely now as she tried to curl into herself even more. She wanted to shrink away, become so small that perhaps her emotions would disappear. She wouldn't have to feel pain as she watched her world fall apart piece by piece. _Casualties_, they called it. It was inevitable, for the price of this war was always the lives of her friends and family.

But what could she do? The attack on Headquarters had shaken Lenalee to the core. It was as if the Earl knew exactly how to shatter her spirit by showing her how truly weak she was, how weak the Order was. All it had taken was one Level 4 to bring the Black Order to its knees. What if there had been two? Or three? Would she even have been alive to sit on the roof of her new home with one of the most important people in her life?

Allen's heart clenched painfully as he watched the girl in front of him fall apart. How could he have missed how badly she was hurting? He never realized how similar they were, smiling through their sorrows and doubts to reassure others.

Now he understood why she hated it.

He found himself moving in front of her (carefully, he didn't think her day would brighten very much if he were to tumble off the roof) and crouching to take her hands in his. At the first contact of their skin, Lenalee's head jerked up in surprise; wet, glistening eyes locked on to comforting silver. He smiled gently, a real smile, waiting for her sniffles to die down before he spoke.

"It's okay to trust your friends, Lenalee," he started, squeezing her hands lightly. He couldn't help but feel how small they were. _And fragile_. "Will you let me promise you that you won't lose me? I could never leave you, you know that, right?"

"You don't know that," she said angrily as she tried to pull her hands away. He wouldn't let her. "How can you be so sure that you won't… leave? I almost lost you before…" Her voice faded as she recalled the images she had seen from Timcanpy, of him lying on the forest floor with a hole in his heart. Even the memories of a recording sent chills through her bones. She shivered as tears threatened to overwhelm her once again.

"But I'm still here."

His words were simple, quiet, and yet they snapped Lenalee back to the present from the horrors of her memory. She stared at him, almost in wonder, like she was finally seeing him for the first time.

_He was still here._

His smile widened as he felt her hand slowly tighten around his own in response.

"Okay," she whispered. And then, in a voice that offered no room for disagreement: "Let's pinky promise." Allen blinked.

"Huh?"

"Pinky promise," Lenalee demanded, taking her hands out of his before stretching her finger out. "We can make a dual pact: I'll promise that you won't lose me, and you promise that I won't lose you. That way we'll have to keep our promises!" Allen gave her an amused look before locking his pinky with hers.

She beamed at him, and he couldn't help but return a smile back.

By now, night had fallen, and the pair began to make their way back inside before Komui began to melt down from not knowing where his sister was. He had not let go of her hand, and he couldn't help but stare at their interlocked fingers as Lenalee led the way.

Something about the way her hand molded with his felt… perfect. Spending the sunset with her had been perfect, and now, holding her hand, he felt as light as air.

And yet, Allen couldn't prevent the tendrils of guilt from creeping into his mind. Would she regret making this promise with him when she realizes what he truly is? But then, with a sinking feeling, he realized that promise or not, he could never let her go.

And he hoped she wouldn't hate him too much for it.

Shaking his head to clear his head, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. When that bridge came, he would cross it, but for now…

He glanced down at their hands once again.

Life felt pretty good.


	4. Snowfall, part 1

**Hi guys! This drabble is going to be a bit of a 3 or 4 part short story where our favorite four Exorcists are in a mission in Germany, still in the same universe where Allen is working undercover for the Earl.**

**I was recently rewatching the series again after reading the latest chapter (ALLEN'S BACK!), and I felt inspired to do a story as if it were a filler episode in the show.**

**This was also the first time I had to do some research into their environment. I have never been to Meissen, but it looks absolutely beautiful from what I could tell!**

**Let me know what you think! If you guys don't like it, I'll just leave this as a one shot in which not much happens.**

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><p>"<em>Come ooonnnnn!<em>"

"No."

"_Lenalee!_"

"No."

"_Please!_"

"No."

"_But I wanna–_"

"If you don't shut up right now I promise you I'll shut you up myself, you retarded rabbit."

"_Kanda!_ Lavi's just excited, that's all. You know how he is."

"Yeah, he's basically just a child in a candy store right now."

"Hey! I resent that. I'll have you know that I'm older _and _taller than you, beansprout."

"…Kanda, hold him down."

"_Allen!_ Guys, we are here on a mission! We can have a little fun _after_ we find the Innocence. Okay, Lavi?"

The bookman sighed dramatically although his eye glimmered in good fun. "I got it, I got it. What information did Komui give us again?"

The four Exorcists had found themselves in Meissen, a quaint picturesque riverside town in Germany in the middle of December. The sun barely peeked over the horizon, casting long shadows on the small shops and homes that lined the cobblestone roads. In the distance, a large Gothic cathedral loomed out of the skyline, almost out of place amidst the cheery red-roofed buildings.

They had packed heavy clothes and wore their winter coats to prepare for the biting cold, but discovered, standing in the sweltering heat which had enveloped them as soon as they set foot in the town, that "overdressed" was a severe overstatement.

Finding a place to stay had been easy enough – many tourists stopped visiting Meissen to avoid the oppressive heat, leaving innkeepers desperate for any business. Their host, a chubby and jolly woman, said that the weather changed approximately a month ago.

"Oh, it was dreadful! One day we were getting ready for the pottery market festival and the next day… well, see for yourself! Now nobody comes to town, not even for our famous porcelain! Dreadful, just dreadful. Strawberry tartlet?"

"Oh, I'm quite full, but thank you for the offer," Lenalee politely declined. Lavi and Allen had no qualms about eating the desserts and promptly inhaled their portions, as well as Lenalee's and Kanda's (who did not look at all pleased by the matter).

"Don't be shy now, sweetheart! Look at you – you're as thin as a rake! We've got to put some meat on those bones or else you could be carried off by the Albrechtsburg ghost!" the woman protested loudly, taking out another strawberry tartlet from her tray and offering it to the young Exorcist.

All four of them perked up at the new information.

_That's what they've been looking for._

"Ghost?" Lenalee asked eagerly as she took the tartlet from the woman's hand.

Their host nodded vigorously. "It lives up in the Albrechtsburg where the Royal Porcelain Factory is. At night, people have said they've seen mysterious lights on inside! They say that the ghost cursed this town with this horrid weather, because the temperature hadn't been like this until the ghost appeared." Her voice darkened to a whisper as she leaned closer to Lenalee, eyes glinting ominously. "They say it wants _revenge_."

"Revenge for what?"

"I have no idea!" the woman chirped brightly as she jolted back upright. "The pastries must be done now," she said to no one in particular as she left the Exorcists to their own devices to tend to the oven.

They gathered together at the small kitchen table.

"So? Do you think it's Innocence?" Lavi asked, leaning back in his chair and putting his boots on the table.

"If it is," Allen mused, "then why haven't we seen any Akuma? They're drawn to the Innocence, right?"

"Maybe this heat is keeping them away. At least the lower level ones. We haven't spent enough time in the town to see if there are any other levels around." The redhead interjected.

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with." Kanda grunted as he stood up and headed for the door.

"Waaiitt! We should go when it gets dark, Yu!" Lavi whined as he snatched a hold of Kanda's arm and tugged backwards, earning him a swift elbow to the gut. "How… mean…" he wheezed on the floor.

"I warned you about calling me by my first name," Kanda said menacingly, his eyes almost glowing in angry. Allen winced in sympathy for the bookman at the appearance of Kanda's _beast eyes_, a sight he had been on the receiving end of many, many times.

"No, no, Lavi's right. We should all get some rest and visit the castle tonight, since that's when the lights have been seen," Lenalee said quickly.

"Tch."

Unfortunately for the Exorcists, they could only afford one room ("Komui's being stingy again, huh?" "Lavi! Don't talk about brother like that. I'm sure he had his reasons… maybe."), and the room only had two beds. After much polite discussion in which at one point Mugen was drawn, a lamp was broken, and feathers flew everywhere after the explosion of a stray pillow caught in the crossfire, Lenalee and Kanda shared one bed while Allen and Lavi shared the other.

"_This sucks_," Lavi whispered moodily. "_It's not that I don't like you, Allen, but I would much rather be cuddling with sweet Lenalee_."

"_We're not cuddling_," Allen replied tersely. He couldn't help but agree with Lavi, though, as he eyed the silhouetted form of dark-haired swordsman with jealously. He supposed that Kanda was at least a better choice than Lavi, judging by how he slept on the far side of the bed with a pillow placed courteously between him and the female Exorcist.

Quashing his overprotective feelings (and _other _feelings) for the time being, Allen turned over on his side and closed his eyes.

They had a big night coming up after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Why yes, the newest chapter did inspire "beast eyes" Kanda.<strong>


	5. Snowfall, part 2

Getting to the castle was easy enough, for it was as though all roads led to the Albrechtsburg. The walk was not only excruciatingly hot and stuffy, but dead quiet – not a soul walked the streets after the sun went down.

"You know, Lenalee," Lavi began, panting as he wiped away yet another trail of sweat from his brow, "if you ever get overheated, feel free to take off your clothes." The four Exorcists had left their coats behind in the room and changed into far more comfortable tops. "You should take some notes from Kanda! His look would totally suit you much mo-ACK!"

A shirtless Kanda suddenly pinned Lavi to the wall by the throat, eyes narrowed dangerously. "I didn't have anything else to wear, moron." He let the redhead go and silently continued to follow the path to the castle before pausing lightly, smirking. "Besides, I didn't think you would be the type to be so attentive by what I don't wear."

"WHAT?" Lavi squawked, frantically scrambling to his feet and sprinting after Kanda, his voice growing faint ("_What are you implying, pretty boy? At least now we're sure you're not a girl!_") as Lenalee and Allen watched him chase after the other Exorcist in the distance, who had turned to face the attacking bookman with his sword drawn to the ready.

Lenalee let out a bright, ringing laugh as she trailed after the bickering duo with the white-haired teen by her side. Allen couldn't help but smile too, though he wasn't sure if it was from the crazy antics from his friends or the fact that the girl next to him was happy. Either way, his skin shivered pleasantly at the sound of her laughter. _Strange, and it's so hot outside too…_

And suddenly, he was all too aware of how close he was to her, and of how their arms almost _but not quite_ brushing by each other, and of how their fingers were nearly touching. For a moment, he was thankful that if needed, he could blame the blush creeping up to his cheeks on the weather.

But if Lenalee had noticed the sudden stiffness in the way Allen was walking, she made no comment, instead casting a glance at him with concern. "You look a little flushed. Are you feeling all right?"

He mumbled something incoherently, the words "hot" and "weather" audible amongst his babble as the redness in his face deepened. Lenalee's brow furrowed as she frowned. This was apparently not the right answer.

"If the heat was getting to you, you should have said something, Allen!" she snapped, wrapping her arm tightly around his own to pull him to the side of the road. He sat as instructed, fearing the wrath of an upset Lenalee Lee, and accepted the bottle of water without complaint. The liquid inside was warm but he thought nothing of it, giving her a weak smile after downing half.

He froze at the look on her face. Granted, her eyes did look a little softer now, but buried in their depths was a hint of sadness and… hurt?

"You still won't let me worry about you." It was a statement, quietly spoken but strong. He briefly wished that she would look anywhere else but at him; her gaze was so fierce, so intense, that it almost burned him. "I… we care about you, you know? Lavi and I, even Kanda… sort of. You don't have to protect me. I've gotten stronger now, and I can take care of myself. Let me take care of you. Please."

_You can't_. "Okay. Sorry, Lenalee." _You aren't strong enough_. "I didn't mean for you to worry, I didn't think it was that big of a deal!" He hoped his small laugh sounded honest, and apparently it was good enough for Lenalee who rewarded him with a smile of her own, but to his own ears it was dry and fake.

He felt sick. _How many lies will I have to tell?_

He vaguely noticed Lenalee packing the water back into her small satchel as his thoughts grew louder, buzzing frantically inside his mind. He knew she wasn't strong enough to defend herself. Not against the Noah. He _knew_. But he couldn't tell her that, not without sounding suspicious, and he didn't have the heart. She had definitely become stronger since when they'd first met, he gave her that, but it wasn't nearly enough. Especially against the Noah. He would know.

He opened his mouth to say something like "Let's go catch up with the other two" or "Do you have anything to eat inside your bag", but a considerable explosion in the distance knocked the words out of his mouth. As if on cue, his left eye whirred to life.

"Akuma!"

A large cloud of smoke rose in the area that Lavi and Kanda had been heading to. Barely visible in the night, the large bulbous bodies of several Level 1s hovered above like massive deformed vultures. Smaller shapes floated amongst them: Level 2s. Those Akuma didn't worry Allen and Lenalee, who were racing to the scene as quickly as possible, Innocence blazing. No, it was the number of metallic bodies concealed in the cloud of the explosion.

Level 3s. So they had been waiting to make their move in the night.

Allen and Lenalee rounded a corner just in time to see Kanda cleave through a Level 1 before whipping around to slice a Level 2 in half. Lavi was also holding up well, his absurdly large hammer catching three Level 1s at the same time and slamming them into the ground. Meanwhile, showers of bright magenta bullets pelted down on the area.

"Yo!" the bookman called as his hammer grew even larger to form a makeshift umbrella for the fatal rain. "Took you guys long enough!"

"…" Kanda added, lunging forward to dismantle another Level 2. Without hesitation, Allen dove into battle, pulling out his left arm into a large broadsword. Up in the sky, Lenalee danced, leaping nimbly from Akuma to Akuma. As she arched weightless in the air, explosions lit up the sky behind her like horrifying fireworks.

As though they realized that the lower leveled forces were quickly being taken care of, the Level 3s began to drop to the ground. There were seven of them, and Allen could feel his rage building as three of them stayed in the air to confront Lenalee.

Kanda and Lavi each engaged one of their own. The redhead wasn't holding back at all, sending a massive fire snake hurtling towards his enemy, and Kanda had activated his Double Illusion.

_Thud_.

A monstrous, armored skeletal figure loomed over Allen, blocking his site of the other battles.

"You're mine, you filthy Exorcist," it hissed, springing with a claw extended for his face. Without batting an eye, Allen vaulted over the Level 3's head, one hand on its helmet, landing safely behind it before whirling around with his sword outstretched, using the momentum of his movement to drive extra force into his swing

Allen had to wonder if its Dark Matter ability was increased luck. A large object slammed into Allen from behind, sending his sword flying out of his grasp and digging into the side of a nearby house. With a hoarse yell, he tumbled to the ground. Something sharp jabbed into his ribs –_an elbow?_– and promptly knocked all the breath out of his lungs.

"…What the– Lavi!"

"Haha, whoops. Sorry, Allen! I wasn't really paying attention and then–"

"Okay, okay, but could you please get off?" Allen tried hard not to let the irritation creep into his voice, but Lavi sensed it anyway, quickly moving off his body sheepishly. He gave a small salute to the white-haired teen before dashing wildly back to his opponent, brandishing his hammer madly.

Allen quickly called his sword back (its return trip almost caught the Level 3 in the back – to his dismay it had sensed the approaching weapon and moved out of the way), but something in sky caught his eye.

It was Lenalee. She was doing well, holding her own against the three Akuma, but he could see her energy draining fast and he could see the bruises blossoming on her skin. She needed help.

But as he prepared to leap into the air to lend a hand, a cold metal hand closed around his leg, hurling his body into the side of a house, the tinny laughter of the Level 3 ringing in his ears.

"Allen!" he heard Lenalee cry as he pushed some of the rubble off his body, thoroughly annoyed at himself for not paying attention. He glanced up once, intending to reassure her with a quick smile, before a sickening '_crack_' filled his stomach with ice.

Lenalee was falling. One of the Level 3s had used her distraction as an opportunity, having soared high above her to use gravity as a boost of power to the drop kick on her skull.

Allen's vision burned as a red haze took over.

"LENALEE!" her name tore itself from his throat as he flew to his feet. There were no coherent thoughts in his mind, just her name repeated over and over like a mantra. All he felt was the chaotic fury spilling out of his body like lava. Even when he saw Lavi swiftly swoop by on his hammer, catching Lenalee safely, his rage still swirled around him not unlike the cloak of Crown Clown. _This is why I didn't want her worrying about me, _his thoughts churned erratically, hands clenching and unclenching. _This isn't helping… I need to calm down._ But his efforts at regulating his breathing and weren't working, furthering his anger.

Suddenly, a voice somewhere in front of him exclaimed, "Lord Neah!", snapping him back to his senses. The Level 3 he had been attacking took a step back, fear visibly rippling through its limbs. "M-my lord! I h-had no i-i-idea!"

_Oh no._

He needed to focus. Now. To his horror, his natural grey skin tone had begun creeping over his hands, and an itching sensation on his forehead signaled the return of his stigmata. Not bothering to mask his speed, he all but teleported a kilometer away. He stopped in front of a house to examine his reflection in the windows, honeyed eyes and smoky skin confirming his fears.

Of all the times he had to lose his disguise, of course it had to be _now_. He'd never been that skilled at maintaining his… what had Tyki called it? His "white" form. But still, Allen thought that maybe he would have gotten better at it.

Evidently not.

The sound of whooshing air behind him alerted Allen to the arrival of "his" Level 3 along with the ones that had been attacking Lenalee.

"Lord Neah," it started timidly, "we followed your aura of Dark Matter and can assure you that the Exorcists did not follow us here. How can we be of service to you? We had no idea that you would be investigating this Innocence personally." The other Akuma nodded vigorously.

Allen sighed. He could feel a headache coming on. It wasn't their fault – really. They'd been doing what Akuma are programmed to do. But he had no time to deal with them right now.

And they _did_ injure Lenalee…

"Stay still," he commanded, procuring his sword once more. And the four Level 3s could do nothing but obey, watching him as he drew closer.

The exorcism was quick, mostly due to their inability to disobey a Noah's order, and left Allen able to think clearly with the task at hand. Closing his eyes, he steadied his racing heart with a deep breath. He had to _focus_. Clear his mind, as Tyki had suggested.

And with a prickling of his forehead and an itching of the skin, immeasurable relief flooded through his system. He had been lucky with how easy it was to switch over.

"Allen!"

And just in time, too.

The Dark Boots touched down lightly behind him and he turned to greet their owner. She stared at him with frantic eyes.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? We saw the four Level 3s heading in this direction but we could get out of our battles earlier… did you already beat them all?" Her words ended on a note of wonder. "That was amazingly fast!"

"I finished quickly only because you already wore yours down," he said hurriedly, nervously running a hand through his hair. "But what about you, Lenalee? I saw you falling and–"

"I'm fine, Allen," she said as she flashed him a brilliant smile, "My head will just be a little sore in the morning, that's all!"

…_a little?_

But Lenalee's expression turned curious as she continued to stare at Allen intently. He laughed awkwardly under the scrutiny and felt a need to back up (although he resisted the urge). "Have you noticed?" she asked. He shook his head no as she took that as a sign to continue, "Your eyes look golden! I guess it's because your eyes are silver and they're reflecting the candles from the streetlights."

Never had Allen felt such a rapid change from intense fear and worry to the warmth of relief and calm – it left him feeling lightheaded.

"Yeah," he said weakly, "It's pretty interesting." He waited for Lenalee to turn around and start walking before he scrunched his eyes shut once more to fix the coloration in the irises.

"Let's get back to the others," Allen heard her say. He nodded in agreement.

He hoped that this was all the excitement the night had in store for him.

But it had only just begun.


End file.
